Island Bus Operators "In an Unusual Situation"
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BECAUSE of the sparsely populated nature of much of the Island of Arran, only those operators who secured school contracts from Bute County Council could operate buses economically in winter. The Scottish Traffic Commissioners were told this at Glasgow. last week, when two of the island's stage-carriage operators, C. M. Weir and Sons, Machrie, and P. McMillan, Pirnmill, applied to vary the conditions of their licences.
Mr. W. Law, for Weir's, said they wanted to run their Lenimore-Brodick service, connecting with the Glasgow steamers, on Fridays as well as Mondays during the winter. This was originally a daily run, but Weir's had been forced to curtail it after losing the school contract between Pirnmill and Lochranza. The application was granted.
Mr. McMillan was applying to provide a connecting service between Blackwaterfoot and Lochranza, to join Mr. Ribbeck's service by the coast road to Brodick. This connected with the 9.30 a.m. steamer. Weir's opposed the application.
Questioned by Mr. Law, Mr. McMillan agreed that if the variation were granted he would hire the bus operated by his brother-in-law, Mr. Ribbeck, which passed over the route on school contract journeys. I-le had not estimated the mileage cost of the double journey each day, nor the probable revenue, but was applying for the benefit of the public. At present a taxi had to be hired to make the connection.
Mr. A. McPherson, a Pirnmill farmer, said Mr. Ribbeck's school bus passed his door on the way to Lochranza, but he was not allowed to join it until it reached that village which was 61 miles away. The bus then proceeded to Brodick. Fifty-three of the villagers had signed a petition supporting Mr. McMillan.
Mr. Law submitted that Mr. Ribbeck had obtained the school contract from Weir's this year by offering cheaper rates. Now, Mr. McMillan was seeking a licence variation for Mr. Ribbeck's benefit. If another service to and from Brodick were superimposed there would be abstraction from Weir's route across the middle of the island.
The chairman, Mr. W. Quin, said it was an unusual situation. The obvious course would have been for Mr. Ribbeck to apply, but they had been told that the route between Blackwaterfoot and Loch
• ranta was regarded as MeMillan's territory. If the county council changed the school contract again next year further difficulties would arise.
The applicant had not found out whether the proposed service was likely to pay, but it would undoubtedly take traffic from Mr. Weir's route. The application would be refused.